Silence settled over the investigation room.
Every detective stared at the two photographs lying on the table.
Kim's body.
Sarah's mother's injuries.
The wounds...
They were almost identical.
One detective scratched the back of his head before letting out a dry laugh.
"Come on."
"Seriously?"
He looked around the room in disbelief.
"So we're actually doing this now?"
"A scarecrow?"
He burst into laughter.
"No, no, no."
"I quit."
"You people have officially lost your minds."
He grabbed his coat from the back of his chair.
"What next?"
"The scarecrow bought a knife?"
"The scarecrow opened a hospital door?"
"The scarecrow signed the visitor's book?"
He pointed toward the window.
"So every time I visit a farm, I should tell the farmer..."
"'Excuse me, sir. I'd like to arrest your scarecrow.'"
A few detectives couldn't help but chuckle.
"This is ridiculous."
"When you people decide to start acting like detectives again..."
"...call me."
"I'm taking a break."
He waved dismissively before walking out of the room.
The door slammed shut.
The laughter disappeared with him.
The detective who had connected both cases remained staring at the photographs.
"I know how it sounds."
"I'm not saying I believe in a walking scarecrow."
"But I do believe these two attacks are connected."
"And somehow..."
"...Sarah is standing in the middle of both."
No one argued.
No one agreed.
The room simply became quiet.
Finally, the lead investigator spoke.
"We're wasting time."
"We're going to the psychiatric hospital."
"If Sarah's mother knows anything..."
"...today is the day we find out."
The detectives slowly gathered their files.
One by one, they left the room.
Soon...
Only one man remained.
He looked down at the photographs again.
Kim.
Sarah's mother.
Sarah.
The pieces refused to fit together.
Just as he reached for the files...
A whisper drifted across the empty room.
"...Don't get involved."
The detective froze.
His heart skipped.
Slowly...
He turned around.
Nobody.
The office was empty.
Only the humming fluorescent lights answered him.
"...Who's there?"
Silence.
He stepped toward the hallway.
Nothing.
His breathing became uneven.
"...Who's playing games?"
Still...
Nothing.
A voice echoed from outside.
"Hey!"
His partner poked his head through the doorway.
"What are you doing?"
"We're leaving."
The detective glanced back at the empty office one last time.
"...Coming."
He quietly closed the file and followed the others.
...
Meanwhile...
Rose finally lowered her head.
"...Fine."
"I'll do it."
She looked at Sarah with trembling eyes.
"But..."
"Please tell me I'm not going to die."
"Please..."
"Just tell me something."
Sarah looked away.
She couldn't.
"I'm sorry."
"I don't know."
Rose gave a weak smile.
"I figured."
She slowly nodded to herself.
"If this thing really wants me..."
"...then maybe the sooner we end it..."
"...the sooner everyone can finally breathe again."
Without another word, she broke down.
"I'm scared..."
"I'm so scared..."
Sarah knelt beside her and gently wrapped her arms around Rose.
Neither of them spoke.
Sometimes...
There were no words strong enough.
...
A few minutes later...
Sarah and Adrian drove Rose home.
The front door burst open before Rose could even knock.
Her mother rushed outside and threw her arms around her.
"Rose!"
"Don't ever disappear like that again!"
"Please..."
"You scared me."
Rose hugged her back tighter than ever before.
"I'm sorry, Mom."
"I promise..."
"I won't run away again."
Behind them, Sarah and Adrian quietly watched.
Rose's mother finally looked toward them.
"Thank you."
"Thank you for bringing my daughter home."
Sarah forced a small smile.
"It was nothing."
They turned and began walking back toward the car.
Outside the apartment building...
Sarah stopped.
She looked back at the warm light shining through Rose's window.
A mother...
Holding her daughter.
For a moment...
Everything looked normal.
Too normal.
Sarah slowly clenched the dagger hidden beneath her jacket.
"If I had never gone to that farm..."
"...would Kim still be alive?"
The question lingered in the cold evening air.
And for the first time...
Sarah wasn't sure she wanted the answer.